Judging by the tone of Scott Shearer's voice, there are few players who are as disappointed as he is about the way Coventry City's season has panned out.

Although more than happy with his own development, having shown enough to earn a contract extension and a call into the Scottish international set-up, the 23-year-old cannot hide the hurt of failing to fulfil the fans' ambitions.

"I am delighted with the way things have gone for me this season but just disappointed that we are not in the play-offs," said City's first choice goalkeeper.

"All the players are gutted at the way this latest run has gone because we really thought we had a great chance of doing something this season, so the objective now is to get nine points from the last three games and finish as high as we possibly can.

"The fans have been great for us all season so it would be nice to give them something to entice them back next season.

"Rotherham might be fighting to stay up but I can assure our supporters that we are fighting to finish as high as we can, so it won't be hard for us to go out and perform and give our best, as we try to do every week."

He added: "It has been frustrating because we have had so much of games and not taken our chances, and then been punished for slack mistakes.

"The manager seems to come in after every game and tell us we have played some good football but it is the same old story with the final result, so we need to address that.

"We have not been too clinical in front of goal, especially away where the home team are always going to create chances, but we seem to get the brunt of everything.

"I didn't feel West Ham deserved the 2-0 victory but that's why, at the end of the day, they are higher than us in the table.

"But I think a lot of people forget we are a new team so next season we should be better equipped and be able to build on the progress we have made this year."

And that sentiment goes for Shearer's own progress which he is keen to continue at Highfield Road.

"Negotiations are on-going but nothing has been done as yet," he said regarding his contract extension talks designed to keep him at City further than next season.

"There is a deal on the table and the two parties have got to come together to agree it."

He added: "I just want to keep progressing as a player now and take that into next season.

"I feel I have come a long way from playing in front of about 400 people tops in the Scottish third division, and that was on a good week, to 15,000 or more.

"I feel I am fortunate here because a lot of clubs prefer to play more experienced keepers, so when you see a young keeper doing well it is nice to see. I don't see it as a meteoric rise or anything. I am just doing my job.

"But I do appreciate where I have come from because it wasn't too long ago that I was working as a lifeguard up in Scotland. I then got a lucky break at Albion Rovers."

Raising his international profile is also something the talented young keeper is keen to do next season after being given a taste of the senior set-up last month when he was in the squad and on the bench in a friendly with Romania.

"I was very pleased to get my call up last month, although obviously disappointed not to have played, but I definitely want to play for Scotland and don't see why I can't achieve that," said the ambitious player.

"I am disappointed not to be in the latest squad for the Denmark friendly next week but I don't pick the team.

"It is something to aim for next season, but I would rather focus on trying to get Coventry into the play-offs and if that gets me international recognition along the way, then great.

"But I have managed to get to where I am now in eight months so who's to say I can't be a full international this time next year."